Thursday, 31 October 2013

Book Description: If the world you lived in was someday
revealed to be nothing but a lie, would you really want the truth?
Elizabeth McBeth did, and she's paid the price for it...

After
almost 10 years since Liz's mother was taken from her, Liz finally
found her mother, Mary. But Mary has been forever changed, something
that Liz will have to accept. The beginning of happier times, one would
think...

The conspiracy has been exposed;
Liz, Vincent, Mary and Michael had all thought that the vampire plot had
been destroyed. They should have never underestimated Klein.

Klein
has reinforced his armies, splitting the entire vampire species with
the question... is Klein the vampiric messiah? Unfortunately for the
heroes and the world itself, Klein has set in motion a plan that will
destroy the world and recreate it in his own image.

Will the group be able to defeat Klein and restore the balance to nature? Or are they already doomed?

♪♫ I absolutely love playlists! ♪♫ I always listen to ♪♫ music when I read, so whenever an author has a
playlist at the end of a book or on their website I have to check out
the ♪♫ songs. It helps to give insight to their characters' thoughts and moods throughout the book. Here is O.L. Ramos's playlist for his characters. Just click on the link to be taken to the song on ♪♫ YouTube:

Vincent tilts his head and walks closer to me, stopping about two feet away. He looks down at me and blinks his eyes, seeming unsure of what to say. He opens his mouth as if to speak and then stops himself. He inhales deeply and licks his lips, narrows his eyes and just nods his head.

“That’s because, when it comes to your safety, nothing ever will be good enough,” he answers somberly, almost as if he hated saying it where others might hear. “You could shoot the bull’s-eye every single time, you could split bullets with other bullets, it still wouldn’t be good enough. You’re still a damsel in distress to me. Someone I need to protect, no matter what. And it’s not just because of the world and Klein’s plan. You’re my Goldilocks, Goldilocks.”

He looks at me and lifts my chin up gently with his finger.

“Though sometimes I’m just looking at your bubble butt for more than just the sake of your safety,” Vincent says with a cocky smile.

I try to slap him but he grabs my arm, so softly that I don’t even know his hand was on my forearm ‘til I see it with my own eyes.

“You always have to have the last word, don’t you?” I ask, feeling myself trembling. “You always got to be the joker, the one who doesn’t care about anything. You think you’re fearless or unbeatable?”

“Unbeatable? Nah, not even close,” Vincent says as he begins to stare at my lips. “Fearless? Hell no, I’m terrified. But I’m not terrified when I’m fighting Klein’s lackeys or dealing with whatever big baddie we gotta fight. I’m scared stiff when the idea of you being in harm’s way comes to my mind. But mostly? I’m just terrified when I’m in your presence. You. You scare the crap out of me.”

“Me?” I ask, unsure of what to say as I stammer through a simple word.

Vincent just continues to stare at my lips as he nods his head slowly.

Then it happens. I don’t even know why or how myself. But I just have to have him. I throw myself at him and drape my arms around the back of his neck. I kiss him passionately, almost aggressively. I feel my knees shake, almost buckling beneath my body’s weight as I feel his tongue softly massage my own. I feel goose bumps spring up all over my body as his fingers run through my hair. He pulls my head back gently and nibbles on my neck, teasing. I try to wrap my left arm behind his lower back when I feel him slowly pull away.

I keep my eyes closed for a few seconds, not sure of what has just happened. Vincent has his back to me, trying to hide his face.

About the Author: From what I understand, the first line of this thing is where I say something really interesting that wins you over. After all, they say that you know within seconds of meeting a person whether you like them or not.

So...yeah... I got nothing. But if there is one thing I know, it's that through stories we discover the world, learn about history and traditions; and in doing that, we become who we are as an individual.

Since I was a very young child, my only dream was to become an author one day. I wanted to reach people with my words, maybe even entertain them. I wanted to touch their lives and give them something to think about. After all, I am a loveable blowhard kinda guy... that's gotta be entertaining, right?

In my life, I've done many things; from supervising sales for a retail giant chain to being a Deputy Sheriff. You would think that a person who had been shot at for a living would be brave enough to write a biography without all the sarcastic quips. Unfortunately no, that's one of my main flaws as the above mentioned blowhard.

Anyhoo, please feel free to drop me a line! If you loved the book, I wanna hear about it. If you hated every word of it, please make sure to let me know, but please avoid the CAPS LOCK! The font can be a little... demeaning. Make sure to have fun guys! They say you only live twice; and if that's true, we're at least half done.

The Devil Never Forgets a DealI, Lilith Straight,
was the woman you always wanted to be. I was married to someone better
looking than your husband, we lived in that house you always wanted.
Within a year, however, all of that changed. My marriage dissolved, my
house burned down, and my job hardly paid the bills. So when I was hit
by a car and died, I thought my life couldn’t get any worse. Boy, was I
wrong.Hell was not the place I imagined. It was worse.
During my brief stay, I learned some disturbing truths about my family.
Most worryingly my ancestor’s deal with the devil promising him every
female descendent as a succubus.So these were my
options: Life on earth as a soul-sucking seductress. Or death and pass
the succubus baton to my sweet little daughter. There was no choice.
Welcome to hell on earth, Lilith. Mother, teacher, wanton she-demon.

Straight to Hell is a witty, engrossing read that grabs your attention from the beginning. The book is about Lilith Straight, a down on her luck divorcee, who is struggling to balance the strains of being a single parent plus the additional stress of an immature adult sister and a troubled niece living with her. Right after we are introduced to Lilith and have been given a chance to get to know her, she dies. Lilith knows she was not perfect during her short life, but she was not prepared for where she ended up.

I loved Lilith's witty, sarcastic personality. It was so much fun to be inside her head. Throughout the book we watch her struggle with what she knows is right and what she feels she must do. The tough decisions she makes are always for what she feels is the greater good…her daughter. This is not a story of good versus evil, but more like bad versus worse, and Lilith does the best she can with what she has to work with.

Note from the Author: I love this scene
because it’s the first time Lilith runs into William Benedict, her incubus
counterpart.What happens when two
opposites attract?Sparks fly!

From the corner of my eye, I noticed a man watching me from
across the room. I didn’t remember him coming in, not surprising since the
evening had been a blur of unfamiliar faces. He had one of those chiseled chins
that belong on male models, and thick, dark hair that begged to be tousled. His
conservative V-necked sweater and leather loafers looked out of place among the
flamboyant hippies and club kids.

My cell buzzed again. Annoyed, I dragged my eyes from the
visitor. This time, Ted’s message read, “Sorry. I forgot about your mom.”

The guy in the sweater came closer. I held my breath, hoping
he’d stop by.

Once more, my cell vibrated in my pocket. I was tempted to
ignore it, but if I did, Ted would continue to text until I answered. His
message read: “I would have come to the visitation but had a med emergency.”

Medical emergency, my ass. Like I said before, Ted’s an
orthodontist, so unless a kid’s rubber band snapped hard enough to put out an
eye, I doubted there was much of a crisis. I quickly sent Ted another text
(“Ok. See you later.”) as Mr. V-necked sweater approached. He was over six feet,
and I had to tilt my head up to meet his gaze. Oh, there was such sadness in
his eyes! No doubt, some of it was due to the funeral. Coupled with that,
however, was something deeper. A bottomless well of world-weariness, perhaps,
or the weight of a secret that was too much to bear.

I wanted to speak, but couldn’t. The guy rocked me like I was
a teenager all over again. My knees felt watery, my cheeks hot, and I had that
delicious, warm, tingling between my legs. I wondered if it was okay to put the
moves on a guy I’d met at my mother’s funeral. Then again, Carrie would have
done it. In fact, she would have leapfrogged over my casket to get at him.

The visitor didn’t take my hand, though I wished he would.
Instead, he said, “Ms. Straight?”

And there it was: the killer British accent. Dear gods. I was
ready to go up in flames. I dabbed at
my sweating forehead and nodded.

“I’m Mr. Benedict.”

He waited, clearly expecting a reply. I uttered a strangled,
“Okay.”

“Miss Spry sent me.”

Miss Spry? For a moment, I was too dazzled to remember the
name. Then it came to me. Oh right, Miss Spry. The woman who had told me that I
was not only dead, but a succubus to boot.

Mr. Benedict continued to look at me with his doleful, brown
eyes. “May we speak outside?”

Could he speak with
me? He could not only talk to me, he could take me to dinner. He could drive me
to his place. He could soil me like a tissue if he wanted. Without a thought to
the other people in the room, I floated behind Mr. Benedict like I’d suddenly
left the real world for a place where dreams come true.

Once outside, I realized how dark it had become. And cold. I
wrapped my arms around myself and shivered. Mr. Benedict carried a coat over
one arm but didn’t offer it to me.

When we were clear of the doors, he said, “Miss Spry has a
task for you tomorrow morning.”

“A task? What kind of task?” I pictured myself picking up her
dry cleaning or running to the store to buy milk.

His mouth tightened in annoyance. “I don’t know. It isn’t our
job to ask questions. Just be ready to leave at 10:00 tomorrow morning.” He
walked away.

“Wait, ten? That’s
the time of my mother’s funeral!”

“That’s not my problem. Just be ready at ten. Wear something
appropriate.”

I ran to catch up, tottering on my high heels. “Appropriate
for what?”

“Your occupation.”

Occupation? Was he talking about the stretchy slacks and
semi-dressy T-shirt that I wore when substitute teaching? But the hard look in
his eyes said otherwise.

Suddenly, I felt very stupid. Of course he didn’t mean
teacher; he meant succubus. I needed to dress like a slut.

I’d been avoiding thoughts about my new job, but the fact I
was expected to do the Devil’s dirty work made my stomach cramp. “I can’t do
what Miss Spry wants. No way.”

“You don’t have a choice. It’s our job to follow her orders.”

Our job? What do
you mean our, I wondered. Then it
struck me. The smoldering gaze, the instant attraction. He was a male version
of what I was. An incubus. No wonder I’d wanted to get naked with him in the
backseat of my car.

About the Author: Michelle Scott received her MFA from Wayne State University. Her stories have appeared in such places as “Tales of the Unanticipated”, “All Possible Worlds” and “Realms”. Straight to Hell, the first book in her Lilith Straight urban fantasy series, was released from Carina UK on Oct. 24. Michelle lives in southeast Michigan with her husband and three children.

To keep up with Lilith and the other members of the Straight to Hell cast, visit Michelle’s blog, Urban Fae.

Tuesday, 29 October 2013

Straight to Hell, a book reviewers have called fun, addictive, and enjoyable, tells the story of one woman, one man, and one deal with the devil.

The Devil Never Forgets a DealI, Lilith Straight,
was the woman you always wanted to be. I was married to someone better
looking than your husband, we lived in that house you always wanted.
Within a year, however, all of that changed. My marriage dissolved, my
house burned down, and my job hardly paid the bills. So when I was hit
by a car and died, I thought my life couldn’t get any worse. Boy, was I
wrong.Hell was not the place I imagined. It was worse.
During my brief stay, I learned some disturbing truths about my family.
Most worryingly my ancestor’s deal with the devil promising him every
female descendent as a succubus.So these were my
options: Life on earth as a soul-sucking seductress. Or death and pass
the succubus baton to my sweet little daughter. There was no choice.
Welcome to hell on earth, Lilith. Mother, teacher, wanton she-demon.

Michelle Scott received her MFA from Wayne State University. Her stories have appeared in such places as “Tales of the Unanticipated”, “All Possible Worlds” and “Realms”. Straight to Hell, the first book in her Lilith Straight urban fantasy series, was released from Carina UK on Oct. 24. Michelle lives in southeast Michigan with her husband and three children.

To keep up with Lilith and the other members of the Straight to Hell cast, visit Michelle’s blog, Urban Fae.

Songstone is a heart warming story full of adventure, magic, superstitions, tribal lore and a touching romance. Kita, who was abandoned in the forest as a child, was rescued by Noni and became an adopted sister. Kita with her pale skin, red hair and green eyes never felt like she belonged to the family that took her in or the tribe they were a part of. The evil medicine man takes her as his servant and uses her to perform his secret rituals. Kita longs for her freedom. Freedom may come at the hands of a stranger. Pono is a journeyman from a distant tribe who sees the brutal treatment of Kita. He will risk everything to save her from her evil master. They will have to learn to trust and depend on each other to survive.

Kita and Pono are both strong characters. Kita perseveres through the persecution of her tribe and her master. Pono is brave to risk his life for Kita. Through their struggles we see their characters develop. I found this story to be interesting and entertaining. I would definitely recommend it.

Sunday, 27 October 2013

The Hag of the Wind by Laura J. Underwood Genre: Fantasy Publisher: Eggplant Literary Productions, Inc.Date of Publication: 10/28/2013 Cover Artist: Roan Carter Book Description: Ginny Ni’Cooley just wants a peaceful, quiet life. But quiet is hard to maintain when one’s mentor is a ghost who died a lush and a lech. And peace isn’t to be found when the locals expect their local mageborn to banish monsters and help infertile couples conceive. It’s that last bit that is posing the most trouble for Ginny of late. Marman the pig-herder--once an unwelcome suitor--now wants Ginny to help him and his wife conceive, and doesn’t believe her when she says it’s beyond her powers. When the couple try to solve their problem on their own, they manage to unleash a demon imprisoned years ago. Now, their actions have placed all of Connorscroft in danger and no matter how much peace and quiet Ginny wants, she’s got to find a way to defeat the demon before it destroys her village, the villagers and makes good on its threat to kill her.

Excerpt

"The Hag of the Wind

She makes such a din

While blawing aboot the lea…

She summons the gale,

And the rain and the hail,

And rattles the windows with glee…"

Auld Liam sat on the steps of Talon's
Tavern, singing that song at the top of his lungs as Ginny Ni'Cooley walked
briskly past on her way to the baker's shop.

"Howt awa," Manus
MacGreeley wind whispered to her ears."'Tis not even noon, and Auld Liam is already deep in his
cups."

Ginny frowned and ignored the mage
spirit of her former mentor.She knew
better than to answer him when there were so many about.The folk who lived in Conorscroft thought
that she had banished Manus' spirit long ago.And while he was wise enough to stay invisible, she just wished he would
not speak.What if someone heard
him?It would do her reputation as the
protector of this small hamlet no end of ill.

For that matter, she wished that Auld
Liam would stop his off key wailing.Thistle howled along bouncing up and down enthusiastically on the end of
his tether.At least Thistle and I are
alike in mind that Auld Liam has a voice like a crow, she thought.

The old man grinned, revealing his
one remaining tooth, and howled back, causing a number of the folk in the
market square to turn and stare.

Ginny winced and hurried on, dragging
Thistle.She should have left the moor
terrier locked in the cottage while she traded her eggs for bread, but the last
time she did so, he found her store of dried beef and ate until he looked like
he would pop.Thistle snapped fiercely
at the old man who just laughed and shouted, "Yer dog has nae ear fae good
music, Mistress Ni'Cooley."

Ginny wanted to say that neither did
Auld Liam.Instead, she sought distance
in the hopes of getting Thistle to calm down before they reached the bakery.

"Uh, oh," Manus
whispered."Better make haste,
lass."

"What?" Ginny said before
she thought better.She looked over her
shoulder expectantly.

Two figures were practically running
across the square towards her now.One
was a tall, willowy young man with pale hair, dull squinty eyes and a pocked,
pasty face streaked with mud.The other
was a short stocky woman with a florid face who heaved so muchher breath fluttered the ragged strands of
salt and pepper hair.

Horns, Ginny thought.It was Marman MacSty and his wife Wycie
Ni'Clachan, the last two people in Conorscroft that she wanted to deal with at
the moment.

Ginny tried not to catch their eyes,
but it was too late.Marman waved an arm
and shouted loudly, "Ginny, Ginny!Wait!"

She grimaced, crossed her arms as she
stopped, and turned to face them fully, wearing her sternest frown.

"Yes?" she asked stiffly,
hoping they would remain downwind and save her the trouble of having to use
magic to change it.Marman mucked pigs
for the young Laird MacFarr, and the stench of the sty was always on him.And since he and Wycie had wed over a year
ago, the odor clung to her as well.

"I need that potion I asked ye
about," Marman said.

Ginny frowned."Marman, I don't make potions.I have told you this before."

"But, we wants a baby,"
Marman said."A little-un ta carry
on me name.I know you can help us.Master MacFarr says that's what mageborn do
best—help folks with things they need."

He reached for Wycie's hand as he
spoke.Wycie glared at Ginny as though
measuring the mage woman's worth in a fight.Ginny could not help but wonder what she had done to make Wycie despise
her so.

It was on the tip of Ginny's tongue
to say that some folks should not have children, but she stopped short of
speaking those thoughts aloud.Without
softening her expression, she looked at Marman and shook her head.

"Marman, I have also told you
that I cannot make an infertile woman or man fertile.That is something that only the gods can
change.Now, I really must be on my
way."

"But you have to help us, mage
woman!" Wycie suddenly snarled."You have to, you have to, you have to!"

"Wycie," Marman said as
though trying to sooth her."Wheesht, woman, don't be so rude to Mistress Ginny…"

Wycie jerked free of Marman and fixed
Ginny with such a fiery stare of rage that Ginny took a step back, uncertain as
to what Wycie might do while angry.Thistle growled a warning.Wycie
made fists of her hands, pumping them up and down like a small child having a
tantrum.

"It is not a matter of
obligation, of which I have none," Ginny said."It is a matter of ability.I cannot help you, Wycie.I'm sorry, but no magic can."

"She lies!" Wycie said, and
with a shout, she stooped down and scooped up a clod that resembled horse
droppings."Mageborn can do
anything.She lies because she doesn't
think we're worthy!"Wycie flung
the clod at Ginny and shrieked.

"Adhar clach!" Ginny
hissed, barely in time.The clod smacked
into a shield of air just inches from Ginny's face and splattered harmlessly.

"You have to make me a
baby!" Wycie screamed and flung herself at Ginny.

Thistle lunged at the woman, snapping
his jaws.It was all Ginny could do to
hold the moor terrier back, much less cast a spell in her own defense.Fortunately, Marman must have realized that
attacking the only mageborn for several leagues around Conorscroft would not be
wise.He threw his arms around Wycie's
middle and stopped her flight.She
continued to scream like a beansidhe and flailed the air with her fists.Ginny saw small stones at her feet jumping up
and down as though reacting to Wycie's rage.She flicked mage senses at the pig man's wife and felt a faint hint of
latent mage essence laced strongly with the element of stone. She can't be
mageborn, Ginny thought, though in truth, many Keltorans possessed a hint of
the blood in them, left over from ancient time.It just did not always manifest when they matured.

Ginny turned on her heels and fled
through the thickening crowd of onlookers.She had not expected so many to be in from the fields this early in the
day, but there they were, gathered like carrion crows watching a carcass for
signs of life.

"I'll make you pay!" Wycie
wailed."Make her pay!Liar!Bogie woman!All mageborn are
liars!"

Ginny made a mental note to herself
to take the long path back to Tamhasg Wood to avoid another confrontation with
Wycie.

About the Author: Laura J. Underwood has been writing and publishing as far back as she can remember. Her earliest stories were selected by Marion Zimmer Bradley for the SWORD AND SORCERESS anthologies, and her first novel ARD MAGISTER came out in 2002 from Yard Dog Press. Since then she has seen the publication of nearly 300 short stories, novels, novellas and other stuff. She currently lives in East Tennessee where she works as a librarian.